What's It really Like To Be A CFI?

FlyingTiger

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
424
Location
Northeast PA
Display Name

Display name:
FlyingTiger
Commercial/Instrument rated, now considering getting my CFI rating. I have a law practice so it would be as a part time instructor. Looking for some general comments from the CFIs out there about the positives and negatives of the job.
 
I always say that part time flight instructing is the best gig going. You can pick who you want to fly with. If a student seems like he is going to be a pain in the ass, pass him off the the kid who needs to pay his rent. :)
 
You make your own hours and get some extra cash on the side. I still flight instruct a few times a month when I’m not flying at work.
 
If you’re doing it part 61 part time you can do the above make your own hours, set your own limits

You can even tell the flight school im only going to do BFR’s and IPC’s etc if you don’t want to tackle the burden of full time student from 0-whatever

I instructed at a part 141/142 school as a full time job so I had a set shift and schedule but I enjoyed the job. I had fun teaching new people how to fly and advancing their flying. However I don’t miss it much as a full Time job . I’d like to one day do it again part time and maybe just do refreshers, high performance endorsements etc on my own Time
 
People pay you to go flying with them in some really cool airplanes.
2nd the part time gig, is the best way to go.
Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
Any tips on gaining the instructional level of experience and proficiency to go from popular Pipers and Cessnas to "really cool airplanes"?

Harder to find these days but an FBO that has a flight school and Part 135 operation is a way, and I was fortunate to have that route. These days I think, from what I hear, it's not as difficult to get on with a corporate flight department but you have to network, visit, etc. Tough to get establish but once you develop a reputation word gets around. Also some of your students may buy a plane and have you fly along sometimes, some even have a company and may hire you as a contract pilot.
 
Last edited:
Flight instructing is probably one of the lowest pressure aviation jobs you can get. For the most part, the flying is done in good weather and the people you're flying with are excited to be there which makes it fun for both the instructor and the student. But, instructing is still a job. You're flying because someone else wants to go flying, and you're doing what they want or need to do. I enjoy instructing but it is also fun to occasionally go out and fly by myself so I can go where I want to go and see what I want to see. It sounds like you might be in a good position to enjoy a little of both, although if word gets around that you're instructing you might find that you have more work than you ever wanted!
 
You're going to keep flying anyway - you'll have the hours, why not study some and get the cert? There's only upside after you have your ticket - including increased pay for some commercial gigs, delivery flights, the ability to instruct which will pay you *and* open doors, and logging PIC time from the right seat without touching the controls.

Oh, and it makes you a *way* better pilot.

Part-timer here too with a full-time sales gig. I got my CFI ticket 18 months ago. I've taught infrequently since then, though it's been a full summer - 170 hrs so far. I had two students today and grossed $700 for the day of flying around Maine. The teaching is paying for the 172 I bought. :)
 
Commercial/Instrument rated, now considering getting my CFI rating. I have a law practice so it would be as a part time instructor. Looking for some general comments from the CFIs out there about the positives and negatives of the job.
Not a CFI, as a student I can tell u that we always try to find a innovative way to test your skills...like the skills that saves ur and my arse

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Any tips on gaining the instructional level of experience and proficiency to go from popular Pipers and Cessnas to "really cool airplanes"?

Get a 135 job and fly some really ratty airplanes first. :rolleyes: :eek: Get some hrs and you'll be upgraded as you go along. Eventually you may get a chance at becoming a 135 instructor. With the turnover these days, it doesn't take long. Very good for career progression if you want to move on.
 
I'm looking getting my sport pilot CFI next spring. Have a private, don't have any desire to get my commercial or instrument, low and slow taildraggers are my thing. Not full time, engineering is my day job, but I helped check a student and his instructor out recently in a Quicksilver and really enjoyed it. I don't think I want to devote the time to a student from scratch, but doing the occasional BFR or tailwheel endorsement would be OK... and it would give me access to the local FBO's Cub, which they use for instruction but not general rental.
 
Teaching people to fly is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

I love watching them go from uncomfortably awkward to joyfully graceful.

I love the challenge of finding a way to reach someone when they have been confused. That moment of comprehension is simply magic.

I feel I am a much better pilot because of what I have learned as a flight instructor.

Perhaps someday it will get old. So far each day is an amazing adventure.
 
It's a blast. You get to meet a lot of cool people with a lot of different goals and backgrounds. It's really fun and rewarding to watch them progress and learn the skills you taught them. On first solo days, checkride days and just days where my students make progress in general I walk away saying "I love my job".

The flip side is that some people you will not get along with. You won't always be able to avoid flying with them. You may find someone who just can't be taught (I've only had 1 so far) and some who would just learn far better with someone else.

I really enjoy instrument students, IPCs, and commercial students. I like having a couple primary students at a time (preferably all in different stages!) and I don't mind doing rental checkouts and stage checks for other instructors. I hate flight reviews. I avoid them whenever I can. I don't know what it is but people are just extra weird on flight reviews and lots of "well I have this plane I built in my garage and I haven't flown in 25 years so I need my 1 hour FR. Won't need more than that though." Ugh. HATE THEM.

These are my feelings... and you asked "what's it really like". Well, some days are great. You love it and you feel productive and accomplished and like you're really doing something positive in your life and others. And some days suck. The weather sucks, the students suck and your attitude sucks. You think "why did I sign up for this?". It's a job, a flying job, but a job regardless. You no longer get to choose when or where you get to fly, though that isn't necessarily a negative. The days go up and down as much as any other job. If you love it the ups will be more than the downs.
 
Any tips on gaining the instructional level of experience and proficiency to go from popular Pipers and Cessnas to "really cool airplanes"?
#1 in my book: Fly them. Or at least as many as you can.

I have a personal rule, with very few exceptions, that I won’t teach in a type I haven’t flown at all. I do mean "at all." A friend once asked me to do a FR in his RV. I said sure, but he needed to teach me how to fly it first. So we went up twice that day. Once for me and once for him.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done in a lot of places. I was lucky to have had a wide variety of rentals available to me and, well before I became an instructor, got checked out in every thing I could, about 30 different types last time I counted. Other than great fun, it’s taught me a lot about the similarities and differences and how to account for them in both my own flying and training others.
 
I've had the same thought, but part of me is terrified of the ham-fisted student who is hell-bent on unintentionally killing me....
 
I have a personal rule, with very few exceptions, that I won’t teach in a type I haven’t flown at all. I do mean "at all." .

Well I probably did too. But then this guy shows for a FR with a Stearman.
I'll rent the 152, he says, nahhhh, Stearman will be fine say I. :D
 
Only speaking for myself...

I was full time many years ago and enjoyed it at the time.
Today I no longer instruct, but would imagine I would enjoy it on a part time basis... and HATE it full time. Who would want to work seven days and VERY long days every weekend just to make ends meet??

Yup. Part time flexibility is the key.
 
Commercial/Instrument rated, now considering getting my CFI rating. Looking for some general comments from the CFIs out there about the positives and negatives of the job.
Hi.
No real negatives, other than the CFI has to be renewed every 2 years, about $100.00.
Be prepared for a a lot of studying / work, to get it.
No real money to be made but it can be very rewarding if the money is Not the goal. Also be prepared to take more responsibility when flying with others, you will always be expected to help, if you are in position to do so. CFIs are considered special people, and it comes with added responsibility.
 
Any tips on gaining the instructional level of experience and proficiency to go from popular Pipers and Cessnas to "really cool airplanes"?

Fly with lots of people in Pipers and Cessna's, then when they move up to a the "really cool airplane" they will likely call you.
After you get to teach in a few cool planes, you will then be the "experienced instructor" in such planes.
Put another way, it is all about who you know. And when you are teaching that student pilot to Fly a 172, 5 years from now you might be his corporate pilot for his C425. (That is actually what my Commercial, CFI instructor did and is still doing)
Learn to Teach in tailwheel airplanes helps a lot also.
I helped a pilot get current in tailwheel in a rental Bellanca Scout, because I was one of only about 3 tailwheel instructors in the area. He bought a Fairchild 24 and asked me to pick it up with him and then check him out it.


Brian
CFIIG
 
I've always been amazed that primary instructors can keep their hands off the controls when a new pilot is learning to land. I'm very glad mine did but I don't think I could stand those first few attempts.

Cudos to those that take on the task

Gary
 
I've always been amazed that primary instructors can keep their hands off the controls when a new pilot is learning to land. I'm very glad mine did but I don't think I could stand those first few attempts.

Cudos to those that take on the task

Gary
It's very easy. You truly get so good at it that you can save virtually anything at the last moment.
More importantly you can see an issue develop well ahead of that.
 
More importantly you can see an issue develop well ahead of that.

I'm a student, but I agree too. Been a few times my CFI told me things were going to happen way before they did. I'm better now, as I've gotten more hours but I was always impressed.
Took a couple bumps to start believing him lol.
 
It's very easy. You truly get so good at it that you can save virtually anything at the last moment.
More importantly you can see an issue develop well ahead of that.

Yep, you can see the trainwreck coming before the train has even left a station. There are still surprises at times but you learn over time how to react (verbally, physically, or let it develop and debrief it if it isn't going to hurt anything) in the most effective way. You also don't let anything develop so severely that you can't fix it at the last second. Thus the "get on the centerline" comments on a half mile final.. thinking ahead ;)
 
It's very easy. You truly get so good at it that you can save virtually anything at the last moment.
More importantly you can see an issue develop well ahead of that.
The one time a student put us into an unintentional spin was exactly this. I saw the issue develop way in advance, able to nip it in the bud or, as I did, let it develop as a good lesson, completely ready to take over and recover when it came.
 
I think I'm a little gunshy since my CFI was just killed by a student a couple months ago. He was doing twin training on a single engine and the student VMC rolled it killing them both.

Has me freaked out about both becoming a CFI and getting my ME rating...
 
Hi.
No real negatives, other than the CFI has to be renewed every 2 years, about $100.00.

That's only if you don't meet the "activity" requirement of having 4 out of 5 students pass some kind of checkride in the last 2 years.

No real money to be made but it can be very rewarding if the money is Not the goal.

I don't know, sure if you're part-timing at a flight school the money isn't very good. But if you're independent and possibly specializing in something, you can easily make $50-100 an hour or more. Not bad income for a part-time job. Of course, it doesn't start out that way, you do have to gain some experience and a reputation and network first. But I'm pretty happy with my part-time income.

I've always been amazed that primary instructors can keep their hands off the controls when a new pilot is learning to land. I'm very glad mine did but I don't think I could stand those first few attempts.

I agree with the other posters about this. I'll add that the difference between a nice landing and one that breaks the airplane is usually only a tiny bit of control movement - really, like 1/4 inch is all that separates the two. If you're paying attention and see the disaster coming, you'll know how to fix it easily, and quickly, and often at the very last moment so that the student gets maximum training benefit.
 
I enjoyed the time I spent instructing. I was making enough money to get by. Don't think I would go back to full time instructing. Maybe if I ever get a chance to retire, I might do some part time instructing.

One positive I can think of is it would give me a reason to hang out at the airport. I could pass on my general knowledge and experiences.

One negative is that I would hang out at the airport and bore people with my past experiences.....

I remember back in the spring of '98 I was working in Alaska. I had tied an onion on my belt, as that was the style back then, when a sudden snow storm iced over my plane......

Now where was I...Oh yes, I needed a new heel for my shoe, so I took a taxi to town. So I tied an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the taxi cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say. The important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...
 
Any tips on gaining the instructional level of experience and proficiency to go from popular Pipers and Cessnas to "really cool airplanes"?

Some Cessnas are really cool airplanes.

1528587.jpg
 
>>That's only if you don't meet the "activity" requirement of having 4 out of 5 students pass some kind of checkride in the last 2 years.<<

Hi.
Yes, there are at least 10 different ways to renew your CFI, but most people will not do 5 Primary students, with 80% pass rate, especially as Free lance, and most will Not get $50-100.00 /hr., unless you have your own plane and have complete control over the operation.

At $50/hr. to make 50K you need to spend 1,000 active / charge hrs. Add to that To / From / Idle and it's likely to double. When all is said and done you are looking at about $25.00 / hr. and that is actually fairly good, most CFIs don't make that. In most FBOs / schools they may get 40-50% or around $20-25/hr. no idle / off time included.

I am not arguing the point, I am just being realistic, if others are doing better good for them, but if one thinks that CFIs are making a lot of money may be disappointed.
If 50K / year, gross, is considered a lot of money fine, but out of 50K, after expenses and taxes, you are lucky to net about 20K for likely 1,000 hrs.

That said, the rewarding side of the profession, in my opinion, is the fact that you are contributing in a meaningful way in supporting, and in many ways subsidizing the aviation industry, and keeps your flying, and knowledge skills, sharp and updated.
I am not sure if the large airlines CEOs understand this, at this point they are beginning to, but a lot of the GA / pilots they need to employ spend a lot of money, and effort, to get to the experience / level they expect. Many pilots / people, including CFIs are subsidizing them.
 
I'm responding because you seem to be pretty down on the financial side of being a part-time CFI and I want to pose the other side of it, because I do make a decent bit of money, especially considering it's a part-time job where I have complete control of my schedule. There aren't a whole lot of part-time jobs that pay this well with this flexibility, and of course are as enjoyable. But it doesn't happen overnight.

>>That's only if you don't meet the "activity" requirement of having 4 out of 5 students pass some kind of checkride in the last 2 years.<<

Hi.
Yes, there are at least 10 different ways to renew your CFI, but most people will not do 5 Primary students, with 80% pass rate, especially as Free lance,

Oh sure, I don't hit that goal every two years, but I have certainly done it in the past. Many part-time CFIs may not, but it's certainly not an impossible feat. Remember, it's not 5 Primary students (that would be really hard as an independent CFI without an airplane) - it's any checkride. Instrument, Commercial, etc. Heck, an initial Commercial can be done start to finish easily in 2 weeks. A Commercial add-on with a well-prepared student takes days. So it's not that hard to achieve.

I guess there might be some terminology involved here. When I think of part-time, I'm talking flying 2-3-4 times a week or more. A CFI who only flies a couple times a month isn't really "part-time", that's more like a "hobby". I fly 30-40 hours per month, which is a good amount for me.

and most will Not get $50-100.00 /hr., unless you have your own plane and have complete control over the operation.

That really depends on your marketing, experience, reputation and location. I live in Oklahoma City, which is certainly not rural, but isn't usually considered a major metropolis either. All the independent CFIs I know charge $50-100 an hour, and most do not have their own airplane. We work exclusively with aircraft owners or members of a local flying club. Are we overcharging? Well, we routinely refer clients to each other because our schedules are full, so I don't think so.

At $50/hr. to make 50K you need to spend 1,000 active / charge hrs. Add to that To / From / Idle and it's likely to double. When all is said and done you are looking at about $25.00 / hr. and that is actually fairly good, most CFIs don't make that. In most FBOs / schools they may get 40-50% or around $20-25/hr. no idle / off time included.

That's why I don't work at a flight school. And where did the $50k number come from? I'd think most people's expectation of a part-time job isn't to make $50k a year.

I am not arguing the point, I am just being realistic, if others are doing better good for them, but if one thinks that CFIs are making a lot of money may be disappointed.

Sure, I'm not "getting rich" by being a CFI, but I am definitely making a substantial and worthwhile addition to my full-time job. But it's like anything else - you don't become a CFI and instantly start making good money. You have to gain experience, and that's usually done at a flight school. Then how much you make really depends on you - again, your marketing, specialization, reputation, referrals, etc. It's most definitely possible to make decent money as a part-time CFI.
 
I think I'm a little gunshy since my CFI was just killed by a student a couple months ago. He was doing twin training on a single engine and the student VMC rolled it killing them both.

Has me freaked out about both becoming a CFI and getting my ME rating...

Sorry to hear that. Definitely one of the negatives of being a CFI is the game of chicken you play as you let the student takes things to the brink before intervening.

In regard to the accident, I am assuming it was the one at (TOP) this past July. From what I have read, the Twin Comanche (PA 30 version) is not the greatest plane to be doing low altitude single engine ops in.

Btw, even if I decide to move forward with the CFI rating, I plan on getting my multi first, plan on starting in the Spring. Think it will very enjoyable. Don't let that accident stop you. Life is too short!
 
Last edited:
Sorry to hear that. Definitely one of the negatives of being a CFI is the game of chicken you play as you let the student takes things to the brink before intervening.

You have the wrong idea if that's how you perceive flight instructing to be. Sure, there is some risk but I feel it is minimal if the instructor is doing their job and actually paying attention to the task at hand and not just going along for a ride.
 
Back
Top